CAT 2019 pattern and preparation - Useful

By siliconindia  |  Monday, 04 November 2019, 04:37:56 PM IST

CAT 2019 pattern and preparation - Useful

Information

Common Admission Test or CAT is conducted every year for admissions to MBA programs in IIMs and other top Business schools in the country. This is a computer-based exam with a duration of 3 hours. The candidates are tested on three parameters; Verbal ability and reading comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative aptitude.

CAT 2019 details

IIM Kozhikode would conduct CAT 2019 and released the exam notification on September 13. The exam date is November 24 2019. CAT would be conducted across 156 cities on the said date. The exam would be computer-based and would be divided into a morning and afternoon session. The total duration of the exam would be 3 hours. IIM Kozhikode released the mock test on October 16, 2019. The admit card was released on October 23, 2019.

Exam pattern

A total of 100 questions are asked in the CAT examination, which is divided into three sections. Each section has both MCQs and subjective questions. Three marks are awarded for each correct answer while one mark is deducted for every incorrect answer. The three sections of the exam have been mentioned here.

Section 1 (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)- This section consists of a total of 32 questions. The number of multiple-choice questions is 24, while the number of subjective questions is 8. This is a challenging section which tests the candidate’s ability to extract data and apply logical reasoning. The topics include bar graphs, column graphs, pie charts, venn diagrams, tables, seating arrangement, cubes, clocks, calendars, line charts, syllogism, binary logic, blood relations, etc.

Section 2 (Verbal and Reading Comprehension)- This section has a total of 34 questions out of which 24 questions are multiple-choice questions, and ten questions are subjective questions. Reading comprehension makes up 24 questions and usually consist of 5 passages. The verbal section of 10 questions include synonyms, antonyms, paragraph jumbles, picking an odd sentence, etc.

Section 3 (Quantitative Ability)- This section consists of 34 questions with 27 questions falling in the multiple-choice category and the rest seven falling in subjective category. This is a significant section and scoring well in this section is crucial to secure a good rank. This section covers a whole lot of topics such as geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, complex numbers, logarithm, percentages, ration and proportion, binomial theorem, functions, simple and compound interest and many other topics.

How to prepare?

It is necessary to get a thorough understanding of the syllabus for all the sections and the exam pattern. Get the basics right for each section. There is no shortage of study materials, sample papers and question banks. Solving sample question papers and previous year question papers is a must to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Work hard on weaknesses and continuously try to improve your score and timing.

Taking online mock tests are an important part of CAT preparation. You need to take sectional as well as full-length mock tests. Commence with a low difficulty level and gradually increase the difficulty level. Initially, taking 1-2 mock test in a week is sufficient, but the frequency must be later expanded to 3-4 mock tests in a week. Mock tests help you in identifying errors that you are likely to make and also makes you aware of the core areas where you need to put in more efforts. Mock tests also make you confident of solving a fixed number of questions within the specified time period and helps you in increasing your speed.

Completing the preparation at least 15 days before the exam is beneficial so that you have enough time to polish your knowledge before the exam day.

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